Abstract

With the rapid growth of our towns and cities the engineer is called upon to arrange for increased or new water supplies to meet future demands. Local conditions may make it advisable to increase the size of the existing storage water supply lakes or create new ones. The creation of such lakes may increase to a marked extent the prevalence of the malaria conveying mosquito (the Anopheles) in territory adjacent to the new or enlarged lake that may affect the malaria sick rate in families living within a mile of the flow line of the lake. There have been instances in recent years where most of the families have been so affected within two years after water was impounded. Such conditions often result in a number of law suits being brought against the parties who are responsible for creating the new lake or changing conditions in the enlarged one. Some of the legal action against the lake owners has been justifiable and some has not. There is always the possibility of the introduction of malaria into adjacent territory at the time the lake is formed. It is decidedly advisable to consider such matters in advance and cities building lakes should take precautions to protect themselves against unwarranted law suits. In some instances proper precautions are not taken because the engineers do not realize fully what conditions are favorable to the maximum production of malaria conveying mosquitoes. As a general rule, conditions in a newly formed lake are most favorable to mosquito production during the first three years. In case we desired to produce a maximum of mosquitoes, a very good method would be to impound the water during June, July and August. In the newly formed lake there is a considerable amount of floatage and debris that affords protection to the mosquito larvae as well as growth of algae (spirogyra) in which the mosquito larvae collect and where their natural enemies can not get at them.

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